Equilibrium
by aviddaydreamer
Summary: Time is a funny thing. It heals, it changes, it solidifies, it separates. And sometimes, just sometimes, it offers second chances. Canon compliant until epilogue, set in 8th year. Rated M for language and future lemons. HG/SB, HP/GW etc.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I adore Harry Potter and all of his little friends. I love them, I cherish them, I spend really far more time than is entirely decent thinking about them, but I do not, in fact, own them. Don't sue me.

Chapter 1

Hermione paced the floor of her Grimmauld Place bedroom, scanning the now tidy space for stray books, socks, and other easily over looked belongings. Satisfied when her search turned up nothing, she clasped her beaded bag shut and tucked it absentmindedly in her right sock. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she left the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Her feet carried her aimlessly through the quiet townhouse; through darkened corridors, past unused rooms, and finally up the creaky staircase until she stood beside the open door to Sirius's bedroom. Inside, his back to her, stood Harry.

She joined him wordlessly, eyes following his to study the photograph permanently attached to the faded wallpaper. Four friends laughed easily together, arms thrown casually over shoulders and eyes shining with youth and mirth and the unmistakable lightness of complete irresponsibility.

She turned to look at Harry, noticing for the first time the tears rolling silently down his pale cheeks. She took his hand in hers, squeezing gently when his shoulders began to shake. She pulled him into a firm embrace, stroking his messy hair as he cried shamelessly into her shoulder.

"It's not fair." His voice was small and hoarse, and the bleakness there broke Hermione's heart.

"I know." She knew he was thinking of more than just the marauders. So much had happened, so many had suffered, and it wasn't fair; any of it.

Harry straightened, breathing deeply. "Andromeda's bringing Teddy to the station to see us off."

"Yeah? His first trip to platform 9 ¾, that's great!" Little Teddy had played an important part in their lives since the final battle, his brilliant smiles and bubbling laughter healing the hurt and making it a bit easier to breathe.

Harry's answering smile was genuine, as it always was in response to the tiny metamorphmagus. "Yeah, I hadn't really thought about that, but you're right. I'll make sure to bring the camera. What time is it?"

"A little after ten. We should head out soon."

Harry nodded, turning to study the picture again. Hermione drew her wand, placed the tip against the photo and muttered a soft _effingo._ An exact copy of the photo materialized on top of the original, and she reached up, peeled it away and handed it to Harry.

He smiled brightly at it before pulling her into a bone-crushing hug, whispering his thanks into her hair.

She swatted his back lightly. "Go get your things. I'll meet you downstairs, alright?"

He kissed her head once before turning and fairly skipping out of the room and down the stairs. Hermione turned to follow him, but stopped shortly. As though following the ache in her chest, she turned back to the wall and the brightly smiling faces of Peter Pettigrew, James Potter, Remus Lupin and…she bit back a sob…Sirius Black. She lifted her trembling wand hand once more, pressing the tip and muttering the spell. She stroked the photo once before shrinking it down to half its size, tucking it in her back pocket and heading down to meet Harry.

***

Andromeda Tonks smiled through her tears at her grandson's vibrant turquoise head where it was tucked into the crook of Harry's neck. Harry squeezed the nearly five month old boy gently, placing a soft kiss against his Technicolor locks.

"I'll see you at Christmas, okay Teddy? You be a good boy for your Gran and I'll bring you loads of presents."

Teddy giggled up at him, clasping his unruly hair and giving it a tug. Harry disentangled the boy's strong grip before passing him to Hermione. She made faces at him, earning a new round of laughter like tiny bells, then planted kisses all across his plump cheeks and button nose.

"Ooh, I'll miss you, Mr. Teddy Lupin! Take care of your Gran and Ron for us, won't you? Yeah?" She handed him back to Andromeda, visibly lightened after the contact. "You'll write and send pictures, won't you?"

"Of course, dear. We'll look forward to seeing you again at the Burrow for Christmas. Have a lovely term!" With that, Andromeda kissed Hermione and Harry on the cheeks before picking her way through the crowded platform.

Harry tugged on Hermione's arm, directing her attention to the other end of the platform. "Weasleys."

A moment later they were joined by Molly, Arthur, Ron and Ginny. Ginny gave Hermione a brief, tight hug before sidling next to Harry, grasping his hand at her side. Ron looked sheepish and uncomfortable, but greeted Hermione with a hug before nodding silently to Harry. Molly and Arthur both hugged them; Molly's embrace lingering and nearly suffocating, while Arthur's was warm, but short.

"So you've both gotten all your things for school, then? If you've forgotten anything at all, don't hesitate to owl me. Harry, dear, haven't you been eating properly? You look a bit thin, you know. And Hermione, love, that jumper looks awfully light; are you sure you'll be warm enough on the train? Did you check the weather in Hogsmeade? Here, I packed you both sandwiches for the ride. Oh, I do wish we'd had a goodbye dinner last night, it's just, well…you know." Molly Weasley's eyes were wide, her expression vaguely lost as her hands twisted anxiously around her bright scarf.

Harry embraced her wordlessly in a tight hug, holding her until he felt the matronly witch relax in his arms. "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley. We'll see you soon, yeah?"

She nodded as he pulled back, watching him through watery eyes. "You're still coming for Christmas, then?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

"Well, you three have a wonderful term. Study hard and look out for one another! Come along, Arthur, I've just seen Mrs. Longbottom, and I'd like to speak with her before we head out to lunch."

The four friends shared a knowing look with each other at Molly's less than subtle attempt at giving them a moment of privacy. Ron shuffled his feet nervously before clearing his throat and addressing the awkward situation.

"This is weird, yeah?"

Harry nodded. "First time on the Express without you, mate. Doesn't seem right."

Ron looked so despondent that Hermione felt the need to sooth his conscience. "I think you're doing the right thing, Ron. George needs you, now. We'll miss you, but it's not as though we won't see you, right? Maybe you could even come up for Hogsmeade weekends."

"Yeah, I think I could manage that."

Ginny punched her brother lightly on the arm. "Keep an eye on the fam, eh big brother?"

Ron gave his first smile of the morning. "Sure thing, little sister. Keep your eyes on _this_ guy, and keep the snogging to a minimum, yeah?"

Harry blushed furiously, studying his shoes and shifting awkwardly while Ginny just smirked in response. "No promises."

Ron rolled his eyes and made a gagging face at a giggling Hermione. Their moment of humor passed, and they were left with an uneasy silence. Their brief attempt at a romantic relationship had been abandoned after only two months, and the return to a platonic friendship had not come easily. The fact that Hermione was now returning to school without him was yet another cause of tension, but if she was being honest, the separation would provide them with the necessary distance to move on from their short-lived, but long anticipated love affair.

Ron cleared his throat, shuffled his feet and took Hermione in a sincere, if awkward hug. "Well, you guys have fun, but not _too_ much fun, alright? Owl me and let me know when those Hogsmeade weekends are."

"Sure thing, Ron. We'll see you soon."

Harry clasped Ron's hand, pulling him into an appropriately masculine one-armed hug. "Take care, mate."

"Yeah."

Ginny just leaned in and kissed her brother's cheek. No words were needed.

They left Ron there and made their way into an empty compartment near the back of the scarlet Hogwarts Express. They all did their best to ignore the stares and whispers as they passed, but Hermione could see the tension in Harry's shoulders as he continued to struggle with his ever present fame. They settled in their compartment, Ginny leaning against Harry, their fingers intertwined. Hermione pulled her bag out of her sock, earning a snort from Harry, fished out a book and settled in for a long ride.

They were soon joined by Neville and Luna, and the five friends were quickly engrossed in familiar conversation. So boisterous was their reunion that they didn't hear the compartment door slide open, revealing a pale and nervous looking Draco Malfoy.

Hermione was the first to notice, and she leaned forward to place a hand on Harry's knee, darting her eyes across to where Malfoy fidgeted in the doorway.

Draco's hands were trembling, his eyes darting about nervously. "Um…sorry. I just…the other compartments…" He seemed to choke on his words before spitting them out. "Can I sit here?"

Six pairs of eyes darted to the empty seat between Hermione and the window with trepidation.

"Look, I wouldn't ask, it's just that…people are feeling…less than receptive." Draco finished this statement by absentmindedly rubbing at his left forearm, drawing stares from everyone present.

"Can't imagine why." Harry muttered under his breath, earning a reproachful glare from Hermione.

She cleared her throat delicately, straightening her shoulders and schooling her features into a tight smile. "Have a seat, Malfoy."

"Thanks." The tall blond made his way to the vacant seat, careful not to tread on anyone's toes. Once he'd stowed his things in the luggage rack, he settled onto the bench and pulled a book from his cloak, earning a round of muffled laughter. Draco's head shot up, immediately on the defensive. "What?"

Harry nodded his head at Hermione, who was holding up a worn copy of the same novel.

"Oh." He could feel the blush crawl up his cheeks as Hermione just smiled back at him.

"It's a classic."

He nodded. "That it is."

Their uncomfortable moment was interrupted when the compartment door flew open once more, quickly followed by a piercing shriek. "Draco! _Here_ you are, I was so worried!" Pansy Parkinson pushed her pug-face into the already crowded compartment, finally taking a moment to look around at the other occupants. "Ugh, why are you sitting _here?_ Come on, I kicked a couple first years out of a compartment down a bit, Theo's there, along with a couple of 7th year Slytherins."

Hermione rolled her eyes at the shrill girl once before burying her nose back in her book.

"Er…actually, Pans, I think I'll just stay here, if it's all the same. Already settled, you know."

Six sets of eyes snapped to his, surprise etched on every face. Pansy's shocked expression quickly turned speculative, and a slow, nasty smirk spread her glossy lips. When she spoke again, her voice was saccharin sweet. "Sure thing, Drakie. See you at the feast, then?"

Draco fought back a cringe and nodded, sending her back into the hallway with one more calculating look over her shoulder.

When the door slid home, Draco let out the breath he'd been holding with a shudder. "Sorry 'bout that."

The others were still staring, slack-jawed, until Hermione interrupted their focus.

"No worries. I guess we know of two more 8th years, then. I wonder who else is going back?"

The conversation turned to casual speculation about returning students, and the time passed easily. When the trolley came by, Harry purchased his usual mound of treats to share with the others, including a bemused Draco. The remainder of the trip passed without incident, other than the occasional gawking students pressing their faces against the glass to get a look at the Chosen One, much to Harry's annoyance and Draco's amusement.

Before long, the group was unloading onto the platform in Hogsmeade and making their way to the carriages. Instead of climbing in, however, many of the older students were circled around the empty carriages, staring and whispering in hushed voices. Hermione pushed through the throngs to see what was causing the disturbance, eventually coming face to face with a huge, winged thestral. Remembering her flight to the ministry fifth year, she reached a hand out and gently stroked the creature's muzzle, earning gasps and more whispers from the surrounding students.

"They're called thestrals, and yes, they've always pulled the carriages. They can only be seen by those who have seen death, which is why, unfortunately, so many of you can see them now. They're gentle, extremely intelligent, and completely harmless, so stop gawking and get in the bloody carriages already!"

The students began tentatively climbing in under Hermione's reproachful watch, and the carriages took off for the school. Draco opened the door to one, sweeping his hand forward in an ushering gesture. "After you, Miss Granger."

Hermione followed his direction with a mystified smile. "Thank you, Draco."

The carriage was soon filled with the same group from the train ride. Ginny smirked at Hermione. "Well handled, Head Girl."

Hermione blushed, turning her head to look out the window with a whispered "Thanks."

Draco turned to Harry. "Are you Head Boy, then?"

Harry shook his head. "No, not me. I think McGonagall chose Terry Boot, didn't she?"

"Only after Harry turned the position down." Ginny nudged him with her shoulder, smiling at his typical self-depreciation.

Draco looked puzzled. "Why would you turn that down? It's a huge honor."

"I think I've had enough responsibility for a while."

Hermione smiled knowingly at him. "Yeah, saving the world isn't nearly as much fun as it seems."

Harry kicked her shin lightly. "You would know."

Draco just shook his head at their blasé attitudes, and they were soon filing out and into the Great Hall for the feast.

The sorting commenced as usual after a lengthy song from the Sorting Hat about coming together to rebuild what has been broken. Eventually, Headmistress McGonagall stood up at what would always be Dumbledore's lovely golden owl podium to address the students.

The wizened witch gave out the usual welcoming sentiments, warnings, and announcements, including the introduction of the newest addition to the teaching staff, before addressing the older students.

"This year we have invited what would have been last term's seventh year students to return for a proper finish to their education. Ten students have accepted that invitation, and they will be housed together, separate from their original house dormitories, in a newly renovated section of the castle. I would ask these students to meet with me after the feast for directions to their new dormitories."

Hermione looked across the four tables to see Pansy pouting quite theatrically, throwing heated glares at her and Harry. Hermione pasted a falsely bright grin on her face and raised her hand to wiggle her fingers in a girly wave at the furious brunette. Beside Pansy, Draco let out a snort of laughter before averting his eyes away from his angry housemate.

The feast commenced, and soon everyone at the Gryffindor table was chatting animatedly, exchanging stories and laughing easily. Only the few missing faces from the crowd hinted at the horrors they'd all lived through.

Before long, dinner was over and Harry, Neville and Hermione said goodnight to Ginny and Luna as the younger girls took off for their dormitories. The three were soon joined by Terry Boot and Lisa Turpin from Ravenclaw, as well as Ernie McMillan and Hannah Abbott from Hufflepuff. Last to join the throng were Draco, Pansy, and Theo Nott, the last two looking slightly murderous at having to live with such mixed company.

McGonagall approached the 8th years smiling broadly. In an uncharacteristic show of emotion, she gripped Harry and Hermione in a tight hug before straightening up and schooling her features into a more professional expression.

"Welcome back, all of you! I'm so pleased to see you all again. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your new common room and dormitories."

She led the way through the castle, down empty corridors and up 5 flights of stairs until they entered a closed spiral staircase, confirming Hermione's suspicions that they were, indeed, headed to one of the smaller turrets on the southern front of the castle, overlooking the cliffs along the lake.

Eventually, the stairs ended at what appeared to be a blank stretch of wall, adorned with only an intricately carved sconce in the shape of a winged cherub clasping a brightly burning torch. The stone angel turned to face McGonagall with a mischievous smirk in place and spoke in a sweetly childish voice. "Password, Headmistress?"

"Captus vicis." Suddenly, very much like the entrance to Diagon Alley, the stones in the wall began to twist and turn until an archway had formed beneath the little angel, opening into a wide, circular common room decorated in the neutral tones of black and beige.

To their left, the room contained a wide floo beneath a black marble mantle. Spaced around it were several plush tan suede sofas and half a dozen black, squatty armchairs. The far side of the room housed a row of work desks beneath huge, diamond-paned windows, overlooking the now dark lake and cliffs below.

McGonagall led the group up a small, open spiral staircase on their right to the second level of the spacious chamber where a balcony led to three doors. "There are three dormitories, each large enough to house four students and with its own bathroom attached. The ladies will stay in this first room, and I trust you gentlemen to work out how to split the other two dormitories amongst yourselves. Now, we all have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow, I suggest you get some sleep."

After the Headmistress had left them, the boys stood outside the bedrooms, eyeing each other uncomfortably. Draco and Theo looked each other up and down with barely concealed malice before turning and, without a word, marching into separate rooms. Harry just shrugged at the other boys before following Draco into the second room, followed closely by Neville. That left Terry and Ernie to bunk with the surly Theo in the third room.

The boys began undressing and Draco soon excused himself to take the first turn in the loo.

Once he'd left, Neville turned to Harry. "He seems different."

Harry laughed at the vast understatement before adopting a more serious, thoughtful expression. "Yeah, but I can't imagine he could have gone through all that he has without changing, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Still, think we'll be alright here?" Neville glanced nervously between the four-posters, cringing at the proximity as though he'd be sleeping four feet from a snake pit.

"I'm sure we'll be alright."

"Yeah. It's weird, though, not being in the Gryffindor tower."

Harry just nodded as he pulled his bag of toiletries out of his trunk. "It is, but I think it would have been weird either way. I mean, just because we're here, doesn't mean we can really go back. We can never go back."

Neville looked slightly puzzled, but Draco's voice replied in his stead through the open door to the bathroom. "Well said, Potter." He climbed into his soft bed, turning to his roommates once more before pulling the heavy beige curtains around himself. "See you blokes tomorrow, then."

Harry smiled softly at him. "Yeah. Night Draco."

**A/N: Sirius is in this story, I promise! He's not going to just materialize without any explanation, though, so you'll have to be patient. This story (the plot included) is still very much a WIP, so any thoughts/ideas/suggestions would be appreciated. **

**Oh, and I realize several people may seem a bit OOC at times (like Draco in this chapter), but I always try to work an explanation in somewhere, so yeah. Trust me. ;) **

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: It's not mine.

Chapter 2

The next morning Hermione bounced anxiously in her seat at the Gryffindor table, largely ignoring both her plate of eggs and toast and the exasperated sighs of the people around her.

Ginny peered at her over her juice glass, shaking her head with an amused grin. "Merlin, Hermione! What's gotten into you this morning?"

"Schedules!" It was all she could do to keep from clapping her hands together like an overexcited five-year-old. Her friends just chuckled at her enthusiasm and turned their attention back to sausages and kippers. "Laugh all you like, but we're really _here_! We're back at school, McGonagall is about to hand out our class schedules, Voldemort is _dead,_ the wizarding world is _safe_, and we get to just be students for once! I'm honestly so happy I could cry."

Harry studied her expression closely before smiling hugely at her. "You're right, as usual, Hermione. I say we make a pact, right now, to make the most of this school year. We're going to really _live _and enjoy our last year of adolescence and irresponsibility."

Ginny smiled wryly at her boyfriend. "Don't you mean your first? You've never really had a go at irresponsibility, Harry."

Hermione nodded sagely. "She's right. You've had the weight of the world on your shoulders your whole life. But that's over now. Now you get to be just…"

"Harry." He smiled at the memory of his 11 year old self being confronted with the truth of his magical identity.

"Yes, just Harry at last."

The three friends chattered on, making plans for the rest of term and discussing classes until McGonagall arrived with a stack of schedules. Hermione ripped into hers, ready to scan and memorize her courses but came to an abrupt halt after reading the first line.

"Professor?"

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"What's this course, 'Advanced Studies in Magical Mysteries'?"

Harry, Ginny and Neville looked over as well. "Yeah, we've all got the same thing on ours. With Professor Verdandi; isn't he the new Defense teacher?"

The Headmistress nodded. "That he is, Mr. Potter. I can tell you that the professors have chosen their top students from the relevant subjects to participate in a very special course this year, and Professor Verdandi will be instructing said course. I would tell you more, but I'm sure he'd prefer to do so himself, and you'll hardly have to wait long, seeing as how your first class starts in 4o minutes."

The three looked at one another curiously as McGonagall turned to continue handing out schedules. After that, their conversation turned to speculation about the new course, and before long it was time to head to class.

The class ("Mysteries," as they'd decided to call it) was meeting next to the Defense classroom, so they had no difficulty finding it. Once inside, they each took a seat in desks that were positioned in a large semicircle at the front of the room. At the back of the room stood several large tables; each was covered with a heavy cloth that only hinted at the objects beneath and protected by lightly pulsing wards of pale blue light.

The quartet continued their discussion from breakfasts, their heads swiveling to the two empty desks to Hermione's left as they wondered which students would be filling them.

Suddenly, they heard raised voices coming down the hallway, both male and distinctly unhappy.

"…You don't have to look so bloody _pleased_ with everything. You could at least _pretend_ to be upset…"

"And why the hell should I be? I'm _glad_ the Dark Lord's dead, and if I'm being perfectly honest, I'm glad both our arsehole fathers are rotting away in Azkaban!"

An audible scuffle broke out then, and before anyone could process what was happening, Hermione was out of her chair and sprinting for the doorway. Harry called out for her to wait, but she darted out and spun around, spitting out _petrificus totalus_ twice before either boy was even aware of her presence.

She casually brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes as she walked forward to address the petrified forms of Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott. "Hello boys. Fighting on the first day? Tsk tsk, that won't do, at all. Now, I'd very much like to let you both up, but I want you to know that the next stunt like that will earn you both a quick stunner and detention for the rest of the month, understood? Excellent."

She flicked her wand wordlessly, and the two boys scurried away from one another before dragging themselves to their feet. Theo shot Hermione a furious look before stomping to the classroom and throwing his things down on the furthest desk.

Draco picked his book bag off the floor, glancing up at Hermione through his pale blond fringe. "Sorry."

Hermione just nodded. "It's the first day; things will settle down soon."

"Yeah, sure."

Draco had turned to head into the classroom when Hermione spotted a splash of garish red near his hairline. She quickly reached for his arm, making him pause halfway through the door.

"You're bleeding."

Draco raised a hand to gingerly pat at his head, scowling when he saw the blood on his fingers. "Bugger knocked me into the wall. It's fine, just a scratch really."

"Well hold still, then." She raised her wand to hover just over the small wound, muttering _vigoratus_ quietly as she passed over it. The cut was quickly healed, and she conjured a damp cloth, passing it to Draco to clean the blood off with.

"That's…impressive. Where'd you learn healing spells?"

"Oh, just some research I did over the summer. Even a simple spell like that one would have been immensely helpful last year."

Just then a good-looking young man with sandy blond hair dressed in charcoal gray robes joined them in the hallway. Hermione immediately recognized him from the feast as the new Defense instructor, Professor Verdandi.

He smiled warmly at the two, noting the slightly bloody rag with an amused smirk. "Good Godric, we've resorted to bloodshed on the first day! Should make for an interesting term, eh?" He winked at Hermione before ushering them both through the door and to their seats, seemingly disinterested in any details of the injury.

Once everyone was seated and silent, he waved his hand at the board, which soon had a brief message written across it:

_Professor Elian Verdandi_

_Advanced Studies in Magical Mysteries_

"Welcome! I'm Elian Verdandi, and for the next nine months I will be your guide as we explore and experiment our way through several of the modern wizarding world's greatest mysteries."

"That you are present today is truly a compliment. As you can see, few were chosen for this course. You six are the top students in six core subjects. Representing herbology, we have a Mr. Neville Longbottom. Stand up, Mr. Longbottom, take a bow!" Neville stood awkwardly, gave a little bow, and sat down again, cheeks aflame.

"For transfiguration, the lovely Miss Hermione Granger." Hermione stood and gave a timid little curtsy.

"Our charms master is Miss Ginny Weasley." Ginny bounced out of her seat, grinning hugely and sweeping low in a dramatic bow, earning chuckles from the class.

"Yes, yes, there's the spirit! For defense, none other than the unstoppable Harry Potter!" Harry stood and nodded to the class, grinning indulgently.

"Our potions expert must be this handsome gentleman, Mr. Draco Malfoy." Draco stood and, scowling only slightly, gave a sophisticated bow before settling himself back into his seat gracefully.

"Finally, our numbers man and arithmancy expert, Mr. Theodore Nott." Nott stood, rolled his eyes, and sat again.

"Yes, well…welcome, all! Your knowledge and personal dedication are essential to any progress we may make in this class."

"Now, if you'll all follow me to the back of the room, I will show you the first substance we will be studying."

The class followed Verdandi to the covered tables, watching as he waved his wand over the first of the three, bringing down the wards. He then gripped the heavy cloth and dragged it away, revealing a sphere that seemed to be constructed of shimmering silver magical energy. It levitated a hands' width above the table, and inside the sparkling globe swirled infinitesimal grains of sand. They appeared white until catching the light, when they reflected it back in a bevy of colors. The students watched with wonder as the strange sand flowed continuously in its confinement as though caught in unseen currents.

"Would anyone like to venture a guess at what this is?" The professor's warm, brown eyes focused on Hermione, an expectant grin lighting his face.

She looked from the dome to his eyes and back before clearing her throat to answer. "It's time-turner sand."

"That it is, Hermione. Ten points to Gryffindor."

"But Professor, weren't all of the ministry's time turners destroyed several years ago?" Harry remembered clearly the ancient bureau smashing to the ground only to right and repair itself before crashing again, over and over.

"Indeed, Mr. Potter. It took some real finesse, but we were finally able to extract the precious sand from the destroyed turners and contain it magically. It was a tricky business you know; when this sand is not magically contained, the properties are extremely erratic."

"Oh, how so?"

"Well, traditionally, a time turner is only able to transport someone back in time, but when uncontrolled, the sand was sending time forwards and backwards, speeding and slowing it and occasionally just freezing it altogether."

Hermione's eyes were alight with new information, and she found herself inching closer to the magical sphere, as though she could discover its secrets by proximity alone. She hadn't realized how close she'd gotten until Verdandi shot a hand out to grip her shoulder.

"Careful, Hermione. I'm not sure how secure that containment device is. We wouldn't want you to go falling through, now would we?" He was smiling at her amusedly, and for the second time that morning, he winked at her.

Hermione took a step back, feeling the heat suffuse her cheeks and trying to ignore the knowing looks Ginny was shooting at her. Shaking her head lightly to regain her focus, she turned to her disconcertingly handsome professor with a question. "But how are we to study its properties if we can't remove it from the sphere?"

"I never said we _can't _remove it, I merely implied that it would be exceptionally difficult and dangerous to _try._"

The boys who had appeared to be losing interest perked up at this, and the professor looked around the group, smiling mysteriously. "We'll begin the extraction process on Wednesday. For homework, I'd like each of you to do some research on the known and unknown properties of time. Look for past research, experiments and studies. Come back with some sort of precedent with which we might construct a new hypothesis. From there, we'll know how to conduct our studies. Class dismissed."

Hermione, smiling brightly, gathered her things and headed straight to her favorite place, her sanctuary, her home away from home: the Hogwarts Library.

***

When Hermione and Harry climbed the stairs to their new common room that night, they were still chatting animatedly about their upcoming Mysteries experiment. However, their bright smiles were immediately dimmed when the cherub opened the archway to the common room and Pansy's shrill voice reverberated harshly through the closed staircase.

"What the hell is the matter with you, Draco?! I feel like I don't even _know_ you anymore!"

They could see Draco slumped tiredly next to the open window, massaging his temples and visibly restraining his temper. "Well maybe you never really knew me to begin with, Pansy."

The angry brunette stomped her designer shoes. "How can you_ say_ that?! We've been friends since…"

"Yeah, since we were kids, Pans, and in all that time have you ever seen me do any thinking for myself? I've spent my whole life trying to live up to my father's impossible expectations; acting, thinking, even _looking_ the way he told me to. It wasn't _me_, not any of it."

"Draco…" Pansy placed a hand against his cheek, but he swatted it away.

"But it doesn't matter anymore, because the bastard's finally _gone._ He nearly ruined my life, nearly got me _killed_, so I feel I'm past the place where I need his _approval,_ not that he'd ever really given it before, anyway. Now he's in Azkaban, and he's never getting out. No sadistic Dark Lord is going to break him out again; he's gone for _good. _And I'm _free. _I'm bloody _free_, Pansy, for the first time in my life! And I'm not going to let you, or Theo, or anyone else who thinks they bloody _know me_ tell me who to be, ever again. You got that? Good."

Pansy sniffled pitifully, her arms crossed over her chest like the petulant child she was while Draco stormed past, headed for the stairs to the dorms.

"I'm going to bed. You'd better think about what I said, because I am not having this conversation with you again. Oh, and as for your little prank against Granger; I'd rethink it if I were you. That witch is bloody powerful and she could make your life hell if she wanted to."

With that, the door to the second bedroom slammed shut, and Harry and Hermione were left gaping at one another in the dim stairway. A moment later, Pansy rushed past, seeming only mildly alarmed at their presence before passing them on her way down.

Harry shook his head slowly. "Bloody hell…"

Hermione just nodded, eyes wide with new understanding.

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter one—I haven't had time to respond to each of them, what with finals and all, but I really do appreciate each and every review immensely!**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I'm not JK Rowling. If I was, I'd be busy writing a marauder era prequel series, instead of, you know…doing this.

**A/N: I realize my Hermione is a bit OOC from canon, but I think it's understandable. After everything she's been through and accomplished, I think she's allowed to swear and be less than cordial to the people who've tormented her. You might not agree with me, which is fine, but if it's really a problem for you, feel free to write your own story. ;-I (winking chubby cheeks ftw)**

Chapter 3

Wednesday morning dawned bright and promising, filling the girls' dorm with warm, golden sunlight. Hermione stretched herself awake, rolled out of bed and went to stand in front of the large bay window.

"Morning, Hermione."

"Good morning, Lisa. How are your classes going?" Hermione hadn't had much of an opportunity to chat with her new roommates, but she smiled warmly at the pretty blonde Ravenclaw.

"Oh, you know, alright I suppose. That new Defense teacher is sure something, don't you think?"

"Hm, yes. He's very…friendly."

Lisa raised an eyebrow, her expression turning speculative. "Oh is he? How so?"

Hermione blushed, turning to face the window again. "Well, I'm in that special studies class, and there are only six students, so I guess it's just a more personal atmosphere."

"Uh huh." Goodness, Hermione could _hear_ the girl's smirk!

She turned around to defend herself, though why she felt the need was for the moment a mystery, but stopped short upon seeing Pansy Parkinson, awake and glaring at her from her four-poster.

She pasted her typical shit-eating, kill them with kindness, 'I'm smiling but I really wish you'd just die already' grin on her face. "Morning Pansy, sleep well?"

Pansy's face darkened. "Eat me, Mudblood."

Hermione's grin widened. "No, thank you. I don't know how to tell you this, so I'll just break it to you as gently as I can, shall I? The truth is, well, I just don't find you very attractive, Pansy. _At all._ But, I'm sure there are plenty, or well…some…maybe…girls in this school who'd be willing. What happened to Bullstrode, anyway? Weren't you two always joined at the knickers?"

Pansy's pug face was now a brilliant shade of puce, and Lisa and the newly woken Hannah were snickering into their bedclothes.

"You impudent, jumped up little…"

"Mudblood? Please, Pansy. Can't you do any better? Yes, my parents are muggles. Well done! You've uncovered a terrific scandal there, haven't you? I'm going to let you in on a little secret. _No one cares._ Certainly not me. In fact, we just fought a bloody war to determine whether or not your precious blood status amounts to anything, and guess what? _You fucking lost._ No one here is impressed by your _breeding_, Pansy, this isn't a bloody dog show! You want respect? You want prestige? _Earn it._ Use whatever questionable gray matter you've got stored between your ears and do something worthwhile or _shut the hell up._"

All three of Hermione's roommates were gaping at her now, though the expressions on Lisa and Hannah's faces were something akin to admiration, while Pansy looked more like the floor had opened up on a pit of fire and brimstone.

"Oh, and you can wipe that shocked look off your face. Do you have _any _idea what I've been through since sixth year? Did you _honestly _think I would come back here the same quiet little bookworm and take whatever unimaginative shit you decided to hand out? _You, _you pathetic, stupid little girl, are _nothing_ to me. Fuck with me, and I will destroy you."

With that, she flashed her a dazzling smile, took a deep breath with her head slightly tossed back and sighed in contentment. "Ladies, it's going to be a beautiful day!" She then skipped to the bathroom, humming softly under her breath.

Pansy punched her mattress in frustration before jerking the hangings closed around her bed.

Lisa and Hannah exchanged mystified looks before giggling quietly. "A beautiful day, indeed."

***

Hermione walked to Mysteries class with Harry, Ginny and Neville, full from breakfast and once again humming that elusive tune from earlier that morning.

Harry watched her with amusement. "You're looking chipper this morning."

She let out a happy sigh. "I had a moment."

"A moment?"

"An 'aha!' moment."

Ginny chuckled at the bemused expression on Harry's face. "Mione, what are you on about?"

"I'm a mudblood..."

Neville visibly winced at the word. "Don't say that, Hermione! That's an awful thing to call yourself."

She just shook her head. "No, I really don't think it is. I just fought in a war to secure my right to exist as a mudblood in wizarding society, and I _won._"

"But you always had that right, Hermione."

"Yes, but someone tried to take it away; they tried, and they _failed_, and now every arrogant, bigoted, inbred pureblood can _kiss my arse_. I'm the winner, and they're the losers, and I'm going to rub it in every one of their snobbish, turned up noses."

Harry stopped walking, his hand on her arm pulling her back with him. "That's…not like you, Hermione."

"I know, Harry. But, I've just had _enough_ of all the ridiculous prejudice I've had to deal with over the last seven years! I've tried _so hard_; I studied twice as hard as any other student, I mastered every spell, every concept I was presented with, I worked so hard to fit into _their _world, and it's still just that—_their world! _It's not fair! I've had enough. I'm done being mature, and I'm done being patient. The next unfortunate sod who gives me trouble over my parentage is going to be _sorry."_

Ginny ginned mischievously. "Why do I get the feeling somebody already is?"

Hermione just shrugged. "I might have been a bit harsh with Pansy this morning, but she's still walking without assistance, so she really should be grateful."

Harry shook his head, his face a mask of curiosity and concern. "I don't know what's gotten into you, Hermione. I know you've been through a lot, we all have, but…just try not to do anything you might regret later on, alright?"

Hermione smirked at him, throwing an arm over his shoulders. "No promises, there, Harry. I'm feeling a bit…_brash_, today, and I have to admit; it feels _good."_

Ginny just laughed, sidling up on Harry's other side, throwing her own arm over Hermione's. "Well, I think it's brilliant. You're probably the smartest student in Hogwarts; it's about time you started using that impressive brain of yours against your enemies. I really can't understand how anyone could be stupid enough to mess with you, honestly."

"I haven't had much trouble so far, and I don't expect I will. I just wanted you to know, ahead of time, that I'm not going to stand for it anymore. Come on now, let's get to class."

Harry, still a bit unnerved by his best friend's sudden personality change, decided to shrug it off for the time being and allowed himself to be led to class by his two favorite witches.

Neville trailed behind the three, shaking his head and eyeing Hermione with increasing awe and just a hint of wariness.

***

"I'm very impressed with all of the research you've pulled together, and pleased to see that you're taking this course seriously." Professor Verdandi smiled fondly out at the six students. The first forty minutes of class had been devoted to an in-depth discussion of the many theories and experiments involving time.

"Tell me, class, if we were to take one thing from this discussion, what would it be?"

There was a pause, Neville began shuffling through his notes, Harry stared into space thoughtfully, and Nott continued to scowl blankly at his table top.

Draco slowly raised his hand in the air.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I'd say that, even with as much thought and effort as wizards have put into studying this matter, the truth is that we still really don't know anything at all."

Verdandi's smile grew. "Excellent. Ten points to Slytherin. A very famous muggle once said, "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." Anyone know who that was?"

Hermione's hand shot into the air. "Socrates."

The professor turned his gaze to Hermione, his eyes locking onto hers in a way that made her feel the inexplicable need to squirm in her seat. She was able to resist, but only just. "Correct. Take ten points as well, Hermione."

"With that higher truth in mind, I'd like you to join me at the back of the room. We're going to attempt to separate a bit of the sand today, so I'll need your full attention and cooperation."

The six students put their things away and starting making their way to the warded tables in the back. They were whispering excitedly, gripping their wands and watching Verdandi for cues.

"First, a little safety precaution. As I've mentioned, this is a highly unstable material. I've put a lot of thought into the extraction process, which should keep us from needing such precautions, but I'd like to teach you all a simple stasis spell, just to be safe. Now, should anything go awry, Merlin forbid, I want you to hold out your wands, move them like so and speak the incantation, _haud abeo."_

"This spell will throw up a shield, protecting everything within the shield from change. It, in essence, freezes time within a limited space. With practice, you can adjust the size and placement of your shield, for example, if you needed to protect others that aren't right next to you. It can be extremely draining, so we're only going to practice it until you've each gotten it once, and I want you to drop it quickly so as to avoid sapping all of your energy. Alright, on three, remember the wand movements; one…two…three."

Together, they repeated the incantation and attempted to move their wands in the figure eight direction the professor demonstrated. Hermione was the only one to accomplish the spell on the first try, and the class stared at her as she appeared to conjure a shimmering glass bubble around herself. Inside she had the odd feeling of weightlessness, as though she'd entered a vacuum. Her hair was no longer resting on her shoulders, but hovering, somewhere between rising and falling. She attempted a deep breath, but the air felt thin, too thin, and she started to panic about a split second before remembering to drop her wand, ending the enchantment.

Verdandi was immediately at her side, easing her into a nearby chair, his hands gently guiding her, one on her shoulder and one on her waist. "Well done, Hermione! Absolutely brilliant. How are you feeling? Bit light-headed?"

She just nodded, confused by his closeness. His hand was still on her waist.

Finally he stood up, giving her room to breathe again. "Just rest, you've done well. Now, everyone else…" He turned his attention to the others and had them try again. This go, Harry accomplished the spell, followed quickly by Ginny and Draco. One more short demonstration later and Neville and Theo had performed it, and Hermione was back on her feet, feeling as good as new.

"Excellent work, everyone. I don't expect we'll need to use this spell, but I feel better just knowing you all could if need be. Now, for the extraction, we're all going to have to work together to keep this thing stable…"

He detailed instructions for each of the students. Everyone would be casting some sort of spell simultaneously, and if even one of them failed, the results could be disastrous. Everyone was casting nervous looks at one another, seemingly calculating the odds of success with less than encouraging results.

"Alright, you each have your instructions, you've practiced separately, and I believe we have enough time left for one go at it before we finish for the day. Don't be discouraged if we don't quite accomplish it this first try; we'll have plenty of time to work on it later."

Hermione stepped up to begin the process. She was tasked with stabilizing the sphere while the opening was conjured, essentially keeping shit from falling to pieces when they opened it up. She cast her spell confidently and successfully, now all she had to do was _focus_ while she held the spell in place.

Theo was placed directly next to her, standing so close, in fact, that she could easily smell the surly boy's aftershave. He was levitating the new, smaller container up to the sphere, waiting for the opening.

As Verdandi moved away, positioning the others, Theo leaned in unexpectedly to whisper to Hermione. "You're taking the whole 'teacher's pet' bit to a whole new level, aren't you, Granger?"

Her shoulders stiffened, but she held her wand steady. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Nott."

Everyone was in place, and Verdandi had begun the incantation to create the small hole in the sphere.

Theo leaned in even closer, his voice a barely audible hiss. "Tell me, is this the first professor you've shagged?"

Hermione almost lost her focus, but managed to keep her hand steady, though her grip was now so tight her knuckles were white.

"I'll bet it's not. Who was the first? Old Slughorn couldn't get enough of you sixth year, but I'll bet it goes back even further."

Hermione tried her best to block out his voice, but her hands were starting to shake.

"What was that chap's name, the half-breed? Oh yes, Loony Lupin."

She clenched her jaw tightly, her pulse spiked and her vision started to blur. Her voice came out dangerously low. "_Don't."_

"Was he your first, mudblood?"

Her body was impossibly tense, her wand arm twitching, aching to curse him.

"Oh well. He's dead now."

"ENOUGH!" Her patience broke with an almost audible snap, and with it, her focus.

The sphere shook once as though in response to a physical blow, and the surface was immediately covered in web-like cracks. Hermione had just enough presence of mind to throw up a powerful _haud abeo_, covering herself and Nott, then pushed it outward to cover the others, including a stunned Verdandi, before the cracks pulsed brightly once and exploded out into nothingness.

The bursting sand hung like mist in the air, completely immobile while everything around it seemed to blur and twist. Verdandi was shouting something behind her and Hermione was holding tight to her shield. Every second was an unbelievable drain on her magic as well as her physical strength. Her vision grew dimmer as she sank to her knees, but she held tight to her wand, holding up the thin shield that kept them all stable amidst the chaos.

The room around her was changing, morphing back and forth between countless realities as Verdandi struggled to conjure a new container. Just as she felt the last vestiges of her strength draining away, as her lungs began to burn furiously, demanding release, the scene stabilized. The sand was sucked into a smaller, pulsing sphere. Hermione waited until the pulsing stopped, the last tiny grain of sand locked away, before dropping her wand.

The last thing she saw before slumping to the floor was a pair of figures struggling to their feet beside the newly conjured sphere. The last thing she heard was a strangely familiar voice shouting words of alarm and recognition. The last thing she felt was Harry's strong hands lowering her to the ground. The last thing she thought of was a multitude of ways to make Theo Nott bleed.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

**Merry Christmas, everyone!**

Chapter 4

Hermione came to only moments after the accident. She turned her head slightly, confused by the uneven surface beneath it until she opened her eyes to find Ginny Weasley looking down at her, stroking her hair soothingly. She sat up stiffly, noting that her head had been nestled in the redhead's lap, and looked around at the strange scene before her.

Verdandi was in the corner yelling at Nott, who was in turn looking mutinous while muttering and pointing back to Hermione. Neville and Draco were hovering around her and Ginny, and Harry…well, Harry was standing straight as a rod in the middle of the floor, staring uncomprehendingly at two boys who, Hermione was quite certain, had not been there before.

Hermione, alarmed by Harry's tense stance alone, pulled herself awkwardly to her feet and walked to him, placing a hand on his rigid shoulder. He did not turn to look at her, and her careful study of his face was only broken when the dark headed boy across from them shouted.

"Would somebody tell me what the HELL is going on?!"

She whipped her head around at the sound of his voice and froze.

Shaggy, black hair…stormy, gray eyes…hard, chiseled jaw…pale, perfect skin.

Her knees began to buckle again, and she clung to Harry's shoulder, finally pulling him out of his trance. He turned to her, wrapping an arm around her waist for support.

Just then, the other boy stepped out from behind his dark headed friend and into Hermione's line of vision. She sucked in a harsh gasp at the sight of his familiar brown eyes and light brown hair, as well as those three memorable scars running across his handsome face.

Harry was watching her now, closely. "Tell me it's them. You see it, too, right?"

She nodded, her eyes filling with tears. Struggling to collect herself, she let go of Harry and stood up straight, taking a step forward.

She fought to keep her voice from shaking, and almost succeeded. "Remus?" She swallowed nervously. "S-Sirius?"

The boys exchanged wary, nervous looks before Sirius spoke. "Who _are_ you? What's going on?"

She felt her pulse quicken and she clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking. "Th-there was an accident." The boys exchanged another look, this time stepping a bit closer to her. "Um…could you…wh-what year is it?"

"What do you mean?"

She let out a shaky breath. "What year is it, to you? You look, maybe 17, is that right?"

Sirius just shook his head at her, his expression alone basically questioning her sanity. Remus, however, stepped forward to respond. "I'm 17, he's 18. It's 1977." He hesitated a moment before adding in a soft voice, "Isn't it?"

Harry walked forward to stand beside Hermione again and shook his head. "1998."

Sirius' eyes grew wide. "Bugger."

Remus began to laugh nervously, his head resting against Sirius' shoulder. "Bugger, Sirius? _Really?_ How very inadequate."

"Well excuse me, Moony, if I don't happen to have a bit of witty repartee stashed away for this very occasion! I mean, hello, we've just been mysteriously transported 20 years into the future, let me astound you all with some impromptu poetry and shining witticisms!"

"What, not even a limerick or two?"

"Oh, sod off, you stupid tit!"

Hermione found herself smiling at the pair despite the seriousness of the situation. She looked over to Harry to see a similar expression on his own face, though she wondered if her eyes were shining as brightly as his.

At that moment, Verdandi strode right up to her, spun her in his arms and clasped her to him in a tight embrace. "Hermione, are you alright? You were brilliant back there; that shield you cast was absolutely amazing! You really saved the day, you know."

Harry cleared his throat and the professor released her. She felt herself blushing madly; she could feel the gaze of everyone in the room centered on her, including the new arrivals.

"Are-aren't you angry with me?"

Verdandi shook his head. "Mr. Nott told me he'd intentionally upset you, though he wouldn't say how."

Her gaze flickered to Remus and back, but only Harry, who stiffened slightly, seemed to notice. "Yes, well. You've no reason to worry about that, I know where Theo sleeps, and these things have a way of working themselves out." She smiled sweetly up at Verdandi while the surrounding boys chuckled softly, finally drawing the professor's attention to Sirius and Remus.

He looked closely between the two. "And what's going on here?"

Sirius, good humor apparently restored, stepped forward with his arm out in greeting. "Sirius Black, emotional pirate and time-traveling scalawag. And, my esteemed traveling partner, monsieur Remus Lupin. Class of 1978." He winked lecherously at a giggling Hermione as the flabbergasted professor shook his proffered hand.

"Professor Elian Verdandi. 1978, you say? Is this a joke?"

"Only the funny parts."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Shut up, pads. Sorry professor, it's just that, well, we were studying in one of the unused classrooms…"

"Studying?" Hermione hadn't noticed the others join them, but Draco was now standing close behind her, eyeing Remus with apparent disbelief.

Remus blushed, but met Draco's amused eyes with a level look. "Yes. Sirius was helping me with our transfiguration homework before class, and anyway, I don't really know what happened. Things went sort of funny, blurry-like, and then I could see you lot, but you were fading in and out, and then everything just stopped and we were here, with you. And it would seem that these two know us, but I'm certain I've never seen them before in my life."

Sirius cut in then. "Except that this bloke looks nearly identical to our best mate. Uncanny, that."

Verdandi, looking extremely troubled, turned to Harry and Hermione. "Is this true? Do you know these boys?"

Harry nodded. "That's Remus Lupin. He was a professor here five years ago. And that, is Sirius Black, my godfather."

Remus looked dumbfounded. "Professor?"

Sirius looked tickled. "Godfather?"

Professor Verdandi stumbled back to the nearest chair, seating himself clumsily and holding his head in his hands.

Sirius was now studying the rest of the class. His eyes lit up in recognition when he looked at Draco. "Oi, Moony, look at this one. He's gotta be a Malfoy."

Draco stood a little taller. "And a Black, actually. Draco Malfoy. I believe you know my parents, Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black?"

Sirius grinned widely. "You mean Cissy married old Lucy-loo? Oh, that's just brilliant. Well, welcome to the family!"

Remus was shaking his head in exasperation. "Sirius, for Godric's sake, can't you take anything, well…"

"Well what, Moony? _Seriously?"_ He wiggled his eyebrows absurdly and then burst out laughing.

"Well, _yes_, actually! Honestly, what's the matter with you?"

"Oh, come on, Moony! This is obviously just a prank, or a dream, or I dunno, a hallucinogenic trip, of some sort. It's all just a little too fortuitous, don't you think? Next thing you know, _that_ one's going to tell me he's James' son, and his pretty little curly-haired girlfriend is your long-lost daughter."

Hermione, while desperately repressing the inane urge to squeal like a five year old over Sirius calling her pretty, decided that Professor Verdandi was unlikely to take charge of the situation, and as such, she would have to do something.

"We're not getting anywhere like this. Why don't you boys take a seat. Draco, could you please go fetch the Headmistress? Neville, this may take a while and it's almost time for our next class, why don't you run along to charms, and could you please inform Professor Flitwick that Harry and I will be detained this morning? Nott, I suggest you get wherever it is that you're supposed to be right now, but don't think for a minute that you're not going to have to answer to me about what happened earlier! Ginny, do you have another class this morning?"

Ginny just shook her head and made it clear with her body language that she had no intention of leaving Harry. "Alright then. Do you think you could go to the kitchens and bring us some tea?"

"Sure thing, Hermione."

"Thank you. Now, Professor, I think we should explain to these boys what happened today, and perhaps discuss a possible course of action?" Verdandi just nodded at her, looking a little lost.

Sirius leaned over to Remus to whisper in his ear. "Bossy little minx, your daughter."

***

Before long, they were seated at the front of the class; Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Sirius, Remus and Professor Verdandi in the students' desks and Headmistress McGonagall before them in a beautiful conjured armchair, all sipping tea and nervously nibbling biscuits. Hermione had been right about the tea though; it was definitely calming some of the more over-wrought nerves in the room.

McGonagall cleared her throat, setting her teacup down daintily. "Mr. Lupin, could you please tell me the time and date of where you were, before?"

"September the 4th, Professor, at, I believe, about 10:15 in the morning."

She nodded. "Exactly 21 years before the accident, to the minute, I presume, Professor Verdandi."

He nodded sheepishly.

Sirius was looking appropriately grave, having had the events preceding his arrival detailed before a much older, but still very recognizable version of his favorite professor.

"And all of this occurred because you lost your focus, Miss Granger? That's very uncharacteristic of you. What, exactly, happened?"

Hermione's cheeks flooded with color. "Well, you see, Headmistress, Nott made some, er…inappropriate comments. I tried to ignore him, honestly! But, I suppose he touched a nerve, and I sort of just cracked."

"Inappropriate?" Hermione nodded, her eyes glued to her teacup.

Professor Verdandi spoke up, then. "It was hardly her fault. Even when he'd finally gotten to her, she never took her eyes off the sphere or lowered her wand, and she immediately recognized the danger of the situation and cast the protective spell she'd learned."

McGonagall nodded. "I wouldn't think to lay the blame of this incident on Miss Granger's shoulders." She cast Verdandi a pointed look. "Regardless, we have two very large consequences here, and we have to decide what's to be done about them. Would it be possible to simply send them back?"

Verdandi ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know about that, Headmistress. Even if we were able to contain some of the sand in a time turner, no one has ever successfully completed a jump of that magnitude. The biggest jump ever performed was a little over eleven months, and we're looking at sending _two_ people more than twenty times that far! There's very little chance it would work."

"Why do we have to send them back?" Every eye snapped to Harry, and several looked ready to answer him, but he continued in a softly determined voice. "Headmistress, you _know_ what awaits them, _both_ of them, back there. Why can't they stay?"

Sirius turned to Harry. "What do you mean, 'what awaits us'?"

McGonagall turned sad eyes from Harry to Sirius. "Mr. Black, now is not the time for that conversation." He started to protest, but she cut him off. "I will answer your questions, or Mr. Potter will, but not just now."

"Potter?! What, so you really are James' son?" Harry just nodded. "What about your girlfriend, is she Remus' daughter, then?"

Ginny bristled slightly. "_I'm_ his girlfriend, and no, she's not."

Hermione sank a little lower in her chair, wishing for nothing more than to slip beneath her desk and vanish into the floor.

McGonagall cleared her throat, regaining the attention of the room. "I think I'll need to speak with Professor Verdandi, as well as any experts we can find on the subject, in order to best determine a course of action. However, for the time being, it appears Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin will be staying. I believe there are two empty beds in the 8th year boys' dormitories, isn't that correct, Mr. Potter?" Harry nodded, fighting a triumphant smile. "Why don't you three show them the way and help them get settled in, then? You're all excused from classes for the rest of the day. Boys, if you need anything, you can find me in the Headmaster's office."

Harry, Hermione and Ginny led Sirius and Remus out of the classroom and towards their new dorms.

"Eighth years?" Remus had caught up to walk beside Hermione, and she smiled up at him at the sound of his familiar voice.

"The war interrupted the last school year, so the seventh years were invited back. Harry and I weren't here at all, actually."

"Oh no? Why not?"

"We were, well…we were very active in the war. Goodness, it's so weird talking to someone who doesn't already know about Harry's role in the whole thing!"

"And what role was that?" Sirius had moved up to her other side, and she now found herself sandwiched between the two marauders. She felt a bit dwarfed by their heights. The feeling was not entirely unpleasant.

Fighting a blush, she focused her eyes on the back of Harry's head, knowing he was listening. "Well, it's quite complicated, but there was a prophecy…involving Harry, and last May, Harry fulfilled it. He defeated Voldemort."

Sirius and Remus both abruptly stopped walking and looked at each other with eyebrows raised. Harry stopped as well, but hadn't turned around to face them yet.

"Really?" Sirius was looking at Harry quite differently now, trying to absorb the truth of her statement.

Hermione nodded. "He did."

Harry turned his body halfway to them to smile fondly back at her. "Not that I could have done it at all without you and Ron."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but smiled proudly. "I'm sure you would've managed."

"Nope. It would have been a hopeless disaster, and you know it."

She laughed, linking her arm with his and pulling them forward again. "Whatever you say, Harry. Come along, you two!"

Sirius and Remus, now several paces behind the others, exchanged incredulous looks before starting down the corridor after them.

"Prongs must be proud."

"Oh, I'm sure he's been completely insufferable ever since."

Hermione, hearing their comments, squeezed Harry's hand. He nodded in response, the muscles in his jaw tight and his eyes a bit watery. She knew they were in for a long day of hard conversations.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following characters or settings…well, except Verdandi, and sort of the 8th year dorms—is it possible to own a turret in a fictional castle that's owned by somebody else? Like, maybe JKR is renting rooms out at Hogwarts like some bizarre boarding house in order to accommodate our fanfic needs. Or maybe it's very, very late and I should stop babbling and go to bed already.

**A/N: (Because the disclaimer wasn't long enough *rolls eyes at self*) I feel like I should warn you, dear readers, of the inevitable angst. It is, due to the events of the story, unavoidable. I will try to temper it with a little humor, maybe a little romance (does smut count as romance?), and (if I'm feeling very brave) perhaps a little action. Because I like my Sirius goofy, not broody. Okay, so I like broody Sirius, too, but really, what emotion doesn't work with on him? I'm fairly certain he could pull off 'sociopathic circus clown' and still be sexy. I may have to write that one next… ;-I**

**Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

Chapter 5

Hermione paced the floor of the second bedroom, her eyes drifting anxiously to the closed bathroom door every half minute or so. She, Harry and Ginny had recently finished detailing the events that occurred nearly 17 years ago; the death of Harry's parents, the 'disappearance' of Pettigrew, and Sirius' incarceration.

Harry was now sitting on his bed with Ginny, his face curiously blank as he mindlessly toyed with her hair.

Remus was sitting quietly across the room, slumped down against the wall with his head resting on his knees, his arms wrapped tightly around himself.

Sirius had locked himself in the bathroom 37 minutes ago and had not come out again.

And Hermione paced. She couldn't get that _look_ out of her head. When she'd told him about James and Lily (Harry had been unable to), the look in his eyes…she was sure she'd never forget it. Sirius had stayed seated on the bed long enough for Hermione to tell him about his arrest before striding wordlessly to the closest solitude he could find.

Remus had spoken a bit and even allowed her to embrace him for a few moments when his composure broke. But Sirius was still in there, _alone_, and it was eating away at her.

40 minutes.

Hermione let out a shaky sigh, sucked in an equally unstable breath, then walked briskly to the door, unlocking it silently with a flick of her wrist and closing it softly behind her.

She cautiously looked about for Sirius, sparing only a brief glance for the expanse of shattered mirror over the row of sinks, but pausing when she spotted a light trail of blood. He must have used his hands.

She followed the drops around the toilets and into a shower stall where she found him sitting in the semidarkness. He was hunched over, elbows resting on his thighs while his bloodied hands gripped his black hair tightly. His face was turned down, sparing her momentarily from the torture in his eyes.

She slowly crouched down to her knees, crawling forward until she was close enough to lay a hand on his shoulder. His body shook at her touch, wracked with a heart-wrenching sob that choked its way out of his throat.

Hermione's restraint snapped at the sound of it, and she reached for him with both hands, gripping both his shirt and wrist tightly and pulling him to her. He came willingly, throwing heavy arms around her small frame and crushing her body to his, his face buried against her neck and the soft curls there.

She rocked him slowly, running her hand in soothing circuits from the crown of his head to the small of his back and over again, murmuring meaningless comforts. He continued to cry, his body shaking violently as he rasped the same word again and again. _No._

After an indeterminable length of time, to Hermione it seemed both a second and an eternity, he began to still. The tension in his strong arms slowly melted away, replaced with weak exhaustion. He eventually pulled himself upright again, and Hermione studied his eerily empty expression closely. He was not looking at her, but rather staring unfocusedly ahead.

She took his hand in hers, assessing the damage done before pulling her wand, using the same spells she'd used for Malfoy to heal the cuts there and conjure a damp cloth. She slowly wiped the blood away, focusing all of her attention on the lines and texture beneath.

Once she'd finished, she lifted her head to find him watching her. There was definite vulnerability in his eyes now. He looked so hurt and lost, and she found herself wishing desperately for the mischievous twinkle to light up his face again.

It dawned on her then that she might have misinterpreted the haunted look she'd seen so many times on the elder Sirius' face. She had assumed it was his years in Azkaban, forced into solitude and tormented by dementors that had driven the spark from his eyes, leaving them hollow and afraid, but she was beginning to question that. This boy before her knew nothing of prison or soul-sucking monsters, yet his eyes were just as she remembered. She realized that it wasn't his own suffering that had broken him before, it was the loss of a friend, no, the loss of a brother. It fit so well with everything else she'd seen of him; he had always put Harry far above himself, had willingly suffered for him, willingly died to protect him.

Sirius didn't lose his life or livelihood when the ministry locked him in a cell, he lost it when James Potter fell defending his family.

She'd never loved him more.

Lost in her moment of revelation, she almost forgot he was really _there, _inches away and staring at her, until he reached a hand across to cup her cheek, stroking his rough thumb across her smooth skin, catching a tear she hadn't realized she'd cried and sending a small shiver down her spine.

His hand remained on her face, his steely eyes locked onto her hazel ones, until a soft voice broke the connection between them like a snapped wire.

"Sirius? Oh, bloody—Sirius, are you alright?"

Sirius dropped his hand just as Hermione dropped her eyes to her lap. Remus stepped into the door of the shower stall, his figure outlined by the flickering firelight from the bathroom beyond.

"You're hurt."

Sirius pushed himself up to a standing position and held out his healed hand to assist Hermione. "I'm fine; all taken care of."

Remus nodded thoughtfully. "Alright then, come along and sit with us, yeah? I can't…I mean, I feel like the world's just tipped over and I need you with me so I can keep a grip on things. It's…it's too much without you, Pads. Please."

The two boys embraced, and Hermione couldn't help but think about _her_ Remus and what he must have gone through, losing everyone at once and being left alone to heal himself as best he could. She couldn't even imagine it.

They made their way back to the bedroom, Sirius wordlessly repairing the shattered mirror as they walked past, Remus scourgifying the blood trail. When they entered, Harry was watching them closely again, the remote expression wiped away.

They sat in silence for a time before Draco and Neville wandered in to deposit their bags. The boys took in the tense atmosphere and said nothing, but Harry addressed them shortly.

"Would one of you mind moving to the third bedroom so Sirius and Remus can move in here?"

Draco cast a smirk at Hermione. "I wouldn't mind bunking with the girls."

She rolled her eyes but smiled back. "You'll be sharing with Pansy, then?"

He made a face and shook his head. "Never mind." He turned to Neville. "I would murder Nott in his sleep, or him me."

Neville just shrugged. "I'll move. S'not a big deal."

Harry nodded. "Thanks, mate."

"No problem. I'm off to the greenhouses. See you at dinner." Neville levitated his trunk out the door after him.

Draco sauntered over to the bed Hermione was currently stretched out on. "You're on my bed, Granger."

She cast him a level look. "How about that."

He just laughed and scooted her over, taking a seat next to her with his back resting against the headboard. "So, what exactly did Nott say to you today?"

Hermione stiffened. "I'd…rather not say just now."

"Oh come on! You looked like you were about to breath flames for a moment."

Ginny sat up, turning toward her. "Yeah, 'Mione, what _did_ he say?"

All eyes turned to Hermione, making her blush uncomfortably. "He…" She cleared her throat nervously. "He accused me of sleeping with the professor…and…"

Draco nudged her playfully. "And?"

She glared at him as she continued. "He suggested it was a bit of a routine. Speculated about _other_ professors, saying some rather…unkind things about them in the process."

Harry, casting a furtive glance at Remus, caught on quickly, as did Ginny.

Draco, however, did not. He actually seemed quite amused by the whole thing. "Other professors? Which ones, exactly?"

Hermione shot him a pointed look. "I'd really rather not talk about it, thank you. Suffice it to say he was completely out of line and completely _wrong_ about everything." Then, in a quiet, scathing voice. "I don't _shag_ my teachers."

Her anger was somewhat abated when she noticed the small smiles playing across Sirius and Remus' faces.

Draco would not let it go. "I still don't understand, though. I mean yeah, that was a really rude thing to say, but it's not like it's true or anything. You so rarely seem affected by what people say about you, I have a hard time imagining some little toss bucket like Nott getting such a rise out of you."

"Well, it wasn't so much what he said about me, although it was horribly insulting. It was the things he was saying about the, er, the professor."

"Oh, so it's just one, now? Come on, Granger! Who?"

"Drop it, Malfoy." Harry gave him a serious look, darting his eyes across to a bemused Remus.

"Wha—_ooh!_ Lupin?! Merlin, Granger! You were what, thirteen? Fourteen? That's sick."

Hermione punched him in the side while Remus had a bit of a coughing fit and Sirius chuckled into his hand. "I _know_ it's sick, you stupid prat! It's not like I actually _did_ it."

Remus recovered shortly, casting embarrassed looks around the room. "Me?"

Harry nodded. "We were sort of close with you while you were here, and after, really. You were the best Defense teacher we ever had."

Remus' brown eyes went wide. "Really?"

Ginny smiled at him. "Definitely. And the handsomest."

Sirius laughed even harder.

"Several of the girls had crushes, you know. Hermione included, isn't that right?"

"Ginny! What the hell?!"

The boys all broke out in laughter then, and when the redhead's only response was a smirk and a shrug, Hermione snatched the pillow off Draco's bed and darted across to Harry's, jumping up on it and beating her soundly.

Harry scrambled out of the way as Ginny grabbed a pillow of her own, returning Hermione's swift blows and knocking she smaller girl over. The boys were standing around now as the pillow fight morphed into a wrestling match, laughing and grinning idiotically.

"Oi, someone get a camera!"

Hermione, on her hands and knees beneath Ginny, tossed her hair out of her eyes. "Don't you _dare_, Sirius Black!"

Ginny used the distraction to flip Hermione over, pinning her on her back with her arms over her head.

Harry slapped his hand down on the mattress like a wrestling referee. "One, two, three…and we have a champion!"

Ginny giggled and leaned over to kiss Hermione's forehead with a loud smack. Hermione glared up at her briefly before bursting into breathless laughter.

Harry and Sirius were both grinning widely with slightly glazed eyes, but Remus and Draco simply looked amused. Their eyes met and Draco shrugged, Remus shaking his head and chuckling in return.

The girls straightened themselves, smoothing hair and skirts back into place while the boys found their seats again.

Draco smirked at Hermione. "So…now don't hit me or anything! But, does that mean you're not involved with Verdandi?"

Hermione looked scandalized. "No! Of course I'm not; he's a _teacher!_ It would be completely inappropriate as well as unethical!"

Harry scoffed. "Someone should tell Verdandi that."

"What are you talking about?"

Draco rolled his eyes and Ginny giggled. "What he's saying, Granger, is that the man clearly fancies you…_a lot, _and he hasn't even the decency to be discrete about it."

Hermione spluttered incoherently.

"Are you talking about the bloke we met earlier?" Sirius asked. Harry nodded. "Oh yeah, he's definitely smitten."

Ginny shook her head, smiling fondly. "Come on, Hermione. Haven't you noticed you're the only student he calls by their first name? All the bloody _winking_?"

Hermione's cheeks flooded with color. "You saw that?" Ginny just laughed at her. "Okay, yeah, he seemed a little…weird, but I thought I was imagining it."

Ginny shrugged at her. "No matter. He's bloody good looking, though. Are you going to go for it?"

"What?! No!"

"Why not?"

"Because…the reasons I said before! Inappropriate and unethical and such."

Draco shrugged. "Only for him."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, but I'd never be interested in a man who could abuse his position like that."

Harry shot both Draco and Ginny an irritated look. "I agree with Hermione. The guy's obviously a creep, and I don't want him anywhere near her."

"Gee, Potter, protective much?"

"Yeah, I guess I am, but she's my best friend; I think I'm allowed to be a bit overprotective."

Hermione just nodded. "No, I get it. If you weren't with Ginny I'd be supremely protective of you when it came to who you dated."

Ginny smirked, picking invisible lint from her skirt. "But clearly, he has exceptional taste in women, so there's nothing to worry about."

Draco laughed at her. "So, what you're saying is that Granger has poor taste in men and needs to have her romantic decisions scrutinized by the Chosen One?"

"Well…"

Hermione scoffed. "I do not!"

Ginny grinned and shrugged. "You have had a tendency to fancy older men, Hermione. Especially the clever ones."

Harry laughed. "I wouldn't call Lockheart clever."

Draco laughed hard at that. "You fancied _Lockheart_?!"

Hermione buried her now very red face in her hands while Ginny responded for her. "Oh come on, to be fair, most of the girls fancied him that year. Besides, I wasn't even thinking about Lockheart."

Hermione's head snapped up before anyone could inquire further. "Ginny Weasley you say one more _word_ and I'll hex your tits off!"

The room erupted in laughter while Harry responded with an indignant "Hey! I like her tits where they are, thank you!"

Ginny looked around the room, noting the smiles and brightened faces of the boys present before smiling with satisfaction. Hermione noticed the expression and cocked an eyebrow. "Ginny, ladies room?"

Once out of earshot, the redhead gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that, Hermione, it just seemed like everyone needed a distraction. I had to do something to lighten the mood."

"Oh, well I guess that's alright. Seemed to work pretty well, didn't it?"

"I think so."

A few moments of silence passed before Ginny spoke again. "What do you think is going to happen? Do you think they'll be alright?"

Hermione shrugged. "I think so…I _hope_ so. I don't think we can send them back, Gin."

Ginny cocked her head, listening to rich laughter floating down from the second bedroom. "I hope you're right."

Hermione smiled tightly, rearranged her face into a casual expression, took a deep breath, and led Ginny back to join the boys in carefully carefree conversation.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I think it's safe to say that no one is under the impression that I own the rights to any of this, yes? Good deal.

Chapter 6

Hermione's eyes fluttered open and then shut against the faint, early morning light. She shifted under a warm blanket, vaguely registering the fact that she appeared to be sleeping in her school uniform. She was trying to remember the events of the preceding day when an arm draped around her midsection, pulling her back against a solid chest. She froze, her eyes snapping open as someone, presumably the someone belonging to said arm, mumbled something incoherent about raspberry scones against the back of her head, warming her hair with his breath.

She jerked away then, unceremoniously falling off the edge of the bed to land painfully on the cold, stone floor below.

"_Ow."_

Draco Malfoy's blond head appeared over the side of the bed, looking down at her with confusion, before he erupted with laughter.

She scowled up at him, propping herself up on her elbows and looking around blearily, trying to remember what the hell she was doing in the boys' dormitories, or more specifically in Draco Malfoy's bed. Suddenly, another head appeared from the bed on her other side, and she gaped openly as it all came flooding back to her.

Smirking drowsily, Sirius extended a hand to her on the floor, which she took. He then pulled her onto her feet, but only allowed her to remain standing for a brief moment before tugging her down on his own bed with a muffled sort of grunt.

"S'early. Go back t'sleep."

Completely dumbfounded, Hermione turned on her side so that she was facing the raven-haired animagus. His eyes were closed, his features smooth and relaxed as his chest rose and fell slowly to the easy rhythm of his breathing. She lay there, eyes wide and glistening as she studied his new, yet familiar features. The strong, sculpted line of his jaw, the sharp angles of his aristocratic cheekbones, his bold eyebrows that cut such a startling line across his fair skin, the simple perfection of his straight nose, the easy, sensuous curves of his almost feminine lips…she bit down on her lip to keep from voicing the tears leaking from the corners of her hazel eyes. She had to restrain herself from reaching out and touching him, needing that reassurance that he was real, that he was alive and well and within reach.

"You're not sleeping." Sirius' gray eyes fluttered open, but the smirk spreading his lips turned to a frown when he saw that she was crying. "Hey…" He reached a hand across to her, stroking her hair softly. "What's wrong?"

Her voice came out a barely intelligible whisper. "You-you're really here? This is real, isn't it? _Please_ be real."

Confused and still half-asleep, Sirius wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into him. "Shh, I'm here, it's real."

She curled into him, pressing her face against his chest and breathing in his scent greedily. "And Remus?"

Sirius nodded. "Remus, too. S'okay. Go back to sleep, I'm not going anywhere."

Hermione gripped his shirt tightly, but soon relaxed against the steady movement of his chest. Lying there, secure in Sirius' arms, she drifted back to sleep.

***

When Hermione woke again, she was immediately aware of just whose bed she was occupying. Taking a moment to indulge in guilty pleasures, she curled in tightly to Sirius's broad chest, sighing contentedly when his arms constricted around her.

"Mione?"

Biting back a groan, she quickly reminded herself that she loved Harry dearly and did not, in fact, want to hex his arse cheeks together just for interrupting her moment of stolen bliss.

Disentangling herself from Sirius' strong arms, Hermione rolled onto her back to peer up into Harry's amused emerald eyes. "What time is it?"

"Nearly eight."

Sirius was just starting to stir, and he reflexively reached out to draw her in to him again.

Hermione waved a hand blindly behind her at Harry and mumbled into Sirius' shirt. "Tiiired. Sod classes for today; I'm not moving."

Sirius smiled sleepily against her head. "Good girl."

Harry exchanged an incredulous look with Draco.

"Sod classes? Merlin, Granger, just how hard did you fall off the bed last night?"

Harry laughed. "Is that how she ended up with him?"

Draco shook his head, feigning indignation. "Bloody wanker stole my snuggle partner."

Harry laughed even harder at that. "Great Godric, have I fallen into the Twilight Zone today? Hermione's skiving off classes to sleep in and Malfoy is complaining about having no one to snuggle with. It's like the ushering in of the apocalypse!"

Hermione clutched the pillow beside her and flung it back in the general direction of Harry's head. The satisfying 'oomph' that followed led her to believe that her missile had hit its target, so she grinned triumphantly against Sirius' chest until Harry, having grabbed her by the waist, hoisted her up off the bed and over his shoulder like a sack of something heavy, useless, and irretrievably inanimate.

"Harry James Potter, you put me down this instant! Unfair and unsportsmanlike conduct, Harry, bad form!"

Sirius was finally fully roused from slumber and sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawning hugely. "Hey, I was using that."

Draco scowled at him. "Snuggle stealer."

Harry carried Hermione over to his empty bed and, only somewhat gently, body-slammed her onto the soft surface. By now, all occupants of the room were wide awake and grinning heartily at Hermione's squeaks of protest. Remus sat heavily on the end of Sirius' bed, while Draco lounged against the nearby wall, already dressed immaculately in freshly pressed school robes.

Hermione was smiling despite herself as her eyes darted frantically about the room. "Where's my wand? I'm going to show you what an unfair disadvantage really looks like!"

"Come on, now, Mione! No need for that. Look, you're awake now! That's all I was trying to do, honest. Did you really want to miss your morning classes? Don't you have ancient runes this morning?"

Hermione, still pouting slightly, folded her arms in defeat. "I do love ancient runes."

"I know! So go get dressed and meet us for breakfast, yeah?"

Sighing, she rose from the bed and held out her hand. "I need my wand first, so whoever's hiding it, hand it over."

Draco slid a hand under his pillow, retrieved the wand and tossed it to her. She raised an eyebrow at the action. "What? I didn't want you hexing off any important body parts in my sleep."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Merlin forbid." She turned to leave, but paused just inside the door. "I realize I must have fallen asleep last night, but why didn't anyone wake me, or move me to my own room?"

Harry shrugged. "You were _really_ tired."

Draco also shrugged, but had an impish grin lighting his features. "Snuggle partner."

She just laughed, shaking her head. "Invasion of the body snatchers, for sure."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, well they can keep him. This version's much more entertaining."

Draco buffed his nails haughtily against his robes. "Once again, I have no idea what you are talking about." Then, under his breath, "_Plebeians."_

Hermione shot a silent pinching hex at him, earning a small yelp. "You don't have to be asleep for me to hex so-called important body parts off, Malfoy. Remember that." Then, winking to the room at large, she left.

Remus shook his head slowly, a soft smile gracing his features. "You're an odd lot, you know that?"

Sirius clapped Harry on the back heartily. "We should get on just fine."

***

Hermione rejoined the boys on their way to breakfast. As they crossed the common room, Theo turned toward them from the armchair he was reading in.

"Well don't you lot look cheery. Looks like you've got your half-breed back, mudblood."

Sirius lunged for the scowling Slytherin, but was quickly restrained by Remus and Harry as Theo leapt to his feet, brandishing his wand. Sirius started to no-doubt hurl sharp insults but was interrupted by Hermione's decisive voice.

"_Expelliarmus_! _Incarcerous_! _Levicorpus_!" Three quick flicks of her wand and Theo was hanging suspended in the air, wandless and bound tightly by thick ropes.

"Let me down, you st—"

"_Silencio_!" Ignoring the astonished looks from the other occupants of the room, Hermione stormed up to Theo and slapped him right across his upside down face. Twice. _Hard_.

Theo's eyes were bugging out of his head, his face turning a disturbing shade of violet.

"Er…Granger? Why don't we—"

Hermione cut Draco off with a finger and a stern look over her shoulder. "Just a moment. Theo and I have something to discuss." She turned back to Theo, who was now shouting silently at her.

Pasting her sweetest smile on her flushed face, Hermione addressed the furious boy. "Listen up, Nott. You might have momentarily gotten away with the rubbish you pulled yesterday, but only because you were coward enough to try it while I was too busy to deal with you properly. But now you need to understand something. First, those people over there, they're my friends. I care about them, and if you so much as breathe an unkind word about any one of them, I have no reservations whatsoever about making you pay. Are you hearing me? I will _spill_ your pure _blood_ if you hurt any of them. Second, and this part should be rather obvious by now, but I'm not taking any shit this year--especially not from ignorant, prejudiced little bastards like you. If you have a problem with me, why don't we settle it the way we would have if you had been man enough to fight in the war? We'll duel, I'll win, and you can bugger off."

Every eye was now on Hermione, including those of the other 8th years that were drawn to the common room by all the noise, and quite a few jaws were dropped in shock.

"Now, I'm going to take off the silencing spell so you can apologize to Remus and me. If you're extra nice about it, I might even let you down before dinner."

She waved her wand once in front of his face, and he swallowed twice before opening his mouth to speak. "I'll report you."

Hermione just laughed. "Go ahead! Tell me, is there a single teacher in this school who'd take your side over mine? Even your own head of house prefers me!"

Theo spluttered, his jaw working furiously, but Hermione could see realization dawning on his face. She had him cornered, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Fine! I'm bloody sorry, alright! Just-just put me down!"

Hermione cocked her head to the side, one brow raised. "Is that really the best you can do, Nott?"

He squeezed his eyes closed, seeming to give himself an internal pep talk before opening them again with a rehearsed sort of calm in his features. "I'm sorry I was rude. It won't happen again."

"Hm. Let's hope not." Hermione flicked her wand once, vanishing the rope, then again, depositing Theo in a heap next to his armchair. "Alright boys, we'd best hurry if we want to eat breakfast before morning classes."

She led the group out of the common room and down the spiral stairs in complete silence until Draco spoke up from his position just behind her.

"Out of curiosity, when you were talking about 'friends' back there, was I included in that?"

She looked at him over her shoulder, trying to interpret his tone, and found that his question was sincere. "As odd as it seems…yes, I believe you were. Is that a problem?"

Draco's face lit up in a sweet sort of grin—something she'd certainly never seen from him before. "Not particularly." They walked in silence for a few minutes before he added, "Does that mean you'll be my snuggle partner?"

Hermione shook her head, laughing softly. "Maybe."

As she was looking back at Draco, Hermione caught sight of the other boys in the group. Harry seemed to be holding back a laugh, but Sirius looked anxious and pensive, and Remus appeared positively ill. Slowing her pace, she allowed Draco and Harry to pass her in the hall and sidled up next to Remus, linking her arm in his. Sirius trailed close behind, watching their interaction.

Remus' soft brown eyes were focused straight ahead and his posture stiff. "So you know, then."

Hermione squeezed his arm gently, nodding. "For some time, and it doesn't matter. Most of the students will know, too. You don't have to hide here, Remus."

"You don't—you're not frightened of me?"

"Not in the least. Actually, Harry, our friend Ron and I have seen you transform. It looked…painful."

He was staring right at her now, eyes wide and vulnerable. His voice was much softer now, his stance more relaxed. "It is."

"We have a potion now that can help. It's called wolfsbane, after the herb. It won't stop the transformation, but it will allow you to retain your mental facilities; you'll be the wolf, but you'll be able to think like yourself."

Sirius stepped up to walk on her other side, unable to stay out of the conversation any longer. "You're kidding! When was it invented?"

"1977, actually. It had probably been discovered before you came here, but not widely publicized yet. Anyway, there's, let me think…a little less than three weeks until the next full moon, so we'll have plenty of time to brew you some."

Sirius was smiling brightly now. "Let me get this straight. Remus doesn't have to hide his condition, and his transformations will be easier and safer?"

"That's right. Oh, and we know you're an animagus, too."

Sirius' smile faltered a moment before he picked it back up again. "Oh, yeah. I guess that makes sense."

"Actually…" Hermione bit her lip while her mind raced. "I was thinking, maybe, that you might teach Harry and me. I'd bet McGonagall would allow it as a transfiguration project or extra credit or something."

Remus stopped in the hall, pulling Hermione to a stop next to him, followed by Sirius. "You don't think they'll be able to send us back, do you?"

She let out a sigh and studied the floor nervously. "I-I'm not sure, but I don't think so, no. And honestly…I just—I need you two to know, I'm really sorry for everything you've lost. I can't imagine how difficult all of this is for you, but I'm not sorry you're here. There's still a lot you don't know…life wasn't particularly kind to either of you, and I feel like this is a much-deserved second chance."

"Life _wasn't_ kind." Sirius' eyes bore into hers as he emphasized the past tense of her statement.

"No Sirius, especially not to you."

Remus paled. "We're dead. _Both_ of us?"

Hermione nodded, fighting back tears.

"How—"

"No." Sirius cut Remus off with a hand on his chest. "Not just now, alright? Look, I've suspected as much since we got here, and then this morning…" Hermione blushed at the early morning memory of lying in bed with Sirius, studying his face. "Well, I just don't think this is the time to talk about it. I can't even think about what we learned last night without losing my mind, so let's not push it any further, alright?"

"Sure, Pads."

They continued walking towards the Great Hall, each lost in thought. Once there, they were met with a few curious looks, but no one seemed to recognize them, so they took a seat next to Harry, Ginny, Neville and (surprisingly) Draco at the vacant end of the Gryffindor table.

McGonagall approached them shortly, her expression anxious. "Good morning. Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, I would appreciate it if you would join me in my office after breakfast. We need to discuss what's to be done, and your friends have classes to go to, I believe."

Remus nodded. "We'll be there, Professor—or I suppose it's Headmistress now, isn't it?"

She beamed. "It is. Although, for the time being, I'm still the Transfiguration teacher."

Sirius smiled up at her. "Yeah, I believe Hermione has an idea for an extended outside project for your course, but I'm sure she'll tell you all about it."

"Hm, doubtless. I'll see you gentlemen soon."

They spent the rest of breakfast discussing professors (Sirius and Remus groaned in disappointment when they heard Slughorn was once again teaching Potions), and Hermione especially enjoyed getting the 20 years prior perspective on the Hogwarts teaching staff. Before long, Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Neville were gathering their things for Herbology, and Sirius and Remus were leaving to meet the Headmistress.

The group was just outside the doors to the Great Hall when Sirius pulled Hermione aside and into a small alcove. "Listen, I wanted to thank you for what you said to Remus earlier. He, well…you don't know what that means to him, your acceptance and all."

Hermione smiled shyly at him, a little flustered by his closeness and the hand that still gripped her wrist gently. Sirius turned her wrist over in his hand, studying her exposed palm and stroking it gently with his thumb.

"I was always told I had an astonishingly short life line."

Hermione shook her head. "I've never believed any of that, Sirius."

He smiled softly at her hand. "Look at that heart line. See how high it is? That indicates intense passion."

Hermione felt her cheeks flood with color. "Oh?"

Sirius nodded without taking his eyes off her hand. "Thank you, Hermione." His voice was softer now, just above a whisper. Hermione held her breath as he leaned in to place a gentle kiss against her cheek before turning and hurrying after Remus. She watched him go, wondering at the strange ache in her chest until she remembered, once again, to breathe.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: It's not mine; I'm just borrowing.

Chapter 7

Hermione tried to concentrate through morning classes, but the memory of Sirius' thumb stroking her palm, his warm breath in her hair, his soft lips on her cheek…well, it was quite literally driving her to distraction. Before long, it was time for lunch, and her feet were mindlessly guiding her through the maze-like castle to the Great Hall, where her friends were already waiting for her.

Taking a seat next to Ginny, she was momentarily startled when a small bouquet of little purple blossoms materialized on her plate. A piece of parchment was wrapped around the stems, tied in place with a familiar blue ribbon. Ginny stiffened at the sight, clutching Harry's arm. He turned and, seeing the flowers, cursed under his breath.

"Same guy?"

Hermione didn't answer, but Ginny nodded slowly beside her. "Has to be."

Their exchange had gradually gained the attention of the others present, most notably Sirius, who was staring at the blossoms from across the table with thinly veiled hostility. Draco, who slid in close to Hermione, looked from one grim face to the next with a bemused expression.

"Alright, what's going on? I thought girls liked getting flowers?"

Ginny reached for the bouquet, inspecting it closely before placing it back on the table before Hermione. "Hermione has a bit of a stalker. He's right creepy, honestly. He sends her a different sort of flower every so often, each one with a meaning behind it, along with a cryptic little note. Go on, Mione. See what he's written this time."

Hermione raised trembling fingers to untie the parchment, rolling it out flat where Ginny could easily read it.

_Hermione, my love, my pet—_

_I should not have you think my devotion expired._

_I am, as always, with you._

_Your new friends cannot rival my affections,_

_And would be wise not to try._

_Thinking of you in fields of fragrant heliotrope, I remain,_

_Yours, as you are __**mine.**_

Draco leaned across her to read the short note aloud to the group. "Charming."

Harry was staring at the table as though willing it to burst into flames, consuming the offending note. "At least there weren't any pictures this time."

Remus leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table top. "He's sent you pictures of himself?"

Harry gritted his teeth. "No, pictures of…"

"Me." Hermione spoke for the first time since her arrival. "And not out of the papers, either. Me out shopping. At the park. At my parents' house. He follows me."

"And you've never seen him?" Remus asked.

Hermione shook her head, while Draco responded. "Disillusionment charms are easy enough to learn."

Ginny took up the note, looking closely as though hoping to discover some hidden clue. "The thing I'm wondering, though, is how it got here. Isn't all of your fan mail being forwarded to a private box while you're at school?"

"Yes, but this didn't exactly come in the mail, did it? It materialized on my plate, meaning it came from the…"

"Kitchens." Sirius interjected, his arms crossed over his chest and his slate eyes flashing. "Which means he's here, at the school. Right now."

Draco turned to Hermione again. "A student?"

"Looks that way."

Remus reached across the table, lifting the small bouquet and sniffing at it cautiously. "Heliotrope. So, what's the meaning of heliotrope?"

"Faithfulness. I believe the literal translation is 'I remain true.'" Six heads turned to regard Neville with raised eyebrows. "What? You know I love Herbology!"

Ginny grinned playfully. "Sure you're not Hermione's stalker, Neville?"

He blushed furiously. "No! I mean, it's not that you're not nice and all, Hermione, but well, I sort of have eyes for one girl only." He shot a wistful look at the Ravenclaw table and a head of long, dirty blonde hair.

Hermione sighed. "Oh well. You've broken my heart, Neville Longbottom, but Luna's a lucky girl. I think you two'd be great together."

He grinned down at his plate, muttering something about 'oblivious blondes' and 'might as well be invisible'.

Having effectively lightened the mood, Hermione stuffed the note in her pocket and started filling her plate with food that suddenly looked incredibly unappetizing. She ate anyway, determined not to let this latest note get to her.

"So, boys, what did McGonagall have to say?" Sirius was still staring angrily at the flowers lying unobtrusively next to the salad bowl, so Hermione directed her question to Remus.

"She said that they're looking into methods of returning us, but that for the time being, we should attend classes with you lot. Of course, what she expects us to do without any of our things, no clothes, no books…"

Harry eagerly jumped in. "We can buy you all new things. Now that Sirius is back, I can return the money left to me in his will, as well as the house."

Sirius finally broke off from his stare, raising his head to eye Harry incredulously. "What money? I ran away more than two years ago, I haven't a penny to my name."

"I know you left home, but you still inherited the Black fortune. And Grimmauld Place."

Sirius' face contorted with disgust. "No, no way! I _swore_ to myself I would never cross that threshold again! And besides, what about Reg? He should have gotten everything."

Harry fell silent, looking to Hermione in a silent plea for assistance. She sighed heavily. "Sirius…Regulus died when he was 18 years old. He turned against Voldemort and gave his life in an attempt to bring him down. He…he was very brave, but he's gone."

Sirius stared blankly at her, the tightening of his jaw the only indication of the silent battle raging beneath his calm exterior. Pinching his eyes closed, he drew in a great, shuddering breath. "Tell me, is bloody _anyone—_anyone _at all_ still alive?! How can they—excuse me, _we_ all be dead? Just what the _fuck_ has happened to the world over the past twenty years?! Reg, fucking _Reg--_"

Remus placed a hand on Sirius's heaving shoulder, but Sirius batted it away, pushing up from the table and storming out of the hall. Remus cast an apologetic look at the others before following his raven haired friend into the entrance hall and out the front doors, Hermione close behind him.

Sirius broke into a sprint the moment his feet touched soil. He ran towards the forest, desperation fueling his long strides, determination setting the path beneath his pounding feet. The second he flitted beneath the shadowy cover of the ancient trees he shifted, dropping down to four padded feet, shifting through the confusion and the chaos to a place of primal simplicity. And he ran.

Remus reached the forest moments after, Hermione crashing through the low underbrush behind him. He stopped, reaching an arm out to catch her as she hurtled past, pulling her back against his chest as he worked to slow his breathing.

"Hermione, no! He's fine, he'll be fine." It took him a moment to register her great heaving breaths as sobs, and then he turned her to face him. She looked ragged, torn and anguished as she gasped her broken sobs into the stillness of the forest.

"I shouldn't—I didn't—I'm sorry!"

"Hey, no, Hermione. You've done nothing wrong." He pulled her against him where she collapsed, clinging pitifully to his robes.

"I never wanted to—oh god, Remus, I can't stand this! I remember, I remember _him_ so clearly…how hurt, how lost and hurt he was. He shouldn't have to hurt like that again—it's not bloody _fair!_ He's _right_…so many people, so many _good_, brave, kind people just _gone_. And now, to have you two back, it felt like a miracle, but not if you're going to keep _hurting_ this way!"

Remus held tight to the sobbing girl, feeling a clawing in his chest as her words dredged up images of friends he hadn't even had the chance to mourn yet. He pushed them down, compacting his hurt into a tight knot in the pit of his stomach, and straightened his shoulders, steeled himself to face this horrifying reality head-on.

"Hermione, listen to me. Sirius, he's strong. He's strong enough for this. We-we both are. Maybe not alone, but we're not alone, are we? We have each other, and you, and the others, and we can do this, together. Because Sirius is the most stubborn bastard I've ever met, and he doesn't give up. Ever."

He tilted her head back so he could look into her red-rimmed eyes, brushing a wayward curl from her face. "It'll be alright."

She took a deep breath, while much calmer tears escaped her bristly lashes. "I'm starting to think it was horribly selfish of me to want to keep you both here—to make you go through all of this."

Remus shook his head, drying her cheeks with calloused thumbs. "This isn't your fault, Hermione. Whether you wanted us or not, we're here, and we may never go back."

She smiled sadly up at him. "I'll always want you here, both of you. I just want you to have a chance at happiness. You were both dealt far too much misery, too much pain. I want to believe this is the universe's way of creating balance."

Remus smiled wanly. "An equilibrium of fortune."

"Exactly."

"I don't think it works that way, Hermione."

She just shook her head. "You're here, aren't you? Against all odds, against all logic, you're here. That has to mean something. It could have been anyone in that classroom, or no one at all. The sand could have spun back two years instead of twenty-one. But it was _you_, you and Sirius, transported not into a room full of strangers, but to people who know and care about you. The odds of that happening the way it did must have been astronomical, but it _did_ happen, and you _are_ here."

Remus quirked an amused eyebrow at her impassioned rant. "Sounds like you're talking about fate. I'm sorry, Hermione, but I'm much too practical a bloke to believe in that."

"I used to be, too. But I've seen things, hell I've _done_ things, that have made a believer out of me. And _this_, well this takes the cake." She used her shirtsleeves to dry her cheeks, still sniffling pitifully.

Remus smiled tiredly at her, wiping away a missed tear near her chin. "Maybe you're right. But, fate or no fate, the forbidden forest is not an appropriate place for lovely young ladies such as yourself to spend their time. Sirius knows these woods well; I'm sure he'll come in when he's ready."

Hermione rolled her eyes fondly. "It's not as though I've never been inside the forest before. But you go on. I'm just going to go sit by the lake a while. Tell the others I'll be in shortly?"

Remus nodded and, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, he turned and headed for the castle. Hermione watched him go a moment before turning and winding her way through the dim outskirts of the forest until she found the small cove where Harry had rescued Sirius from the dementors third year. She sat herself down on a patch of dried leaves, her back resting against the wide trunk of a towering oak tree, and looked out over the calm, dark water.

It was some time later, she had no real idea how long, when she heard a soft rustling in the brush behind her. Tensing, her hand tightly gripping her wand, she watched as a large black dog pushed its way through the undergrowth. Releasing her grip, she smiled warmly at him as he picked his way to her side, lowering himself to lie beside her, his muzzle resting on her lap.

She ran her fingers through his glossy coat, silently noting the subtle differences in the hair and build of this much younger Padfoot. He huffed once, nudging her leg gently with his nose while she scratched behind his ears.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was barely more than a whisper, and no more than was needed as he licked her hand once before settling against her quietly.


End file.
